Here are some mistakes I see made over and over when making a homemade gingerbread house! Avoid these mistakes and level up your gingerbread game!
1. Letting your icing dry for too long before putting the candy on.
Only ice a few inches at a time before putting on your candy! It will dry if you try to ice too much at a time and the candies won't stick! If you do too much icing on accident, though, don't worry, you can just scrape it off with a knife and add more!
2. Putting too much frosting and candy on the roof - it can collapse in if it gets too heavy!
You don't need much icing to get candies on the roof to stick well! Don't layer it on too thick otherwise the roof can get too heavy and slide off or collapse in!
3. Baking the gingerbread too long or not long enough - too long and it will get brittle and can crack or break when you’re setting up the house. Not long enough and it won’t be strong enough, so it collapses.
It may take a couple of tries to figure out the right time for your oven, all ovens will vary slightly! You want your gingerbread firm but not burnt. It shouldn't be shiny on the top when you take it out. If you happen to underbake it and it's still a little too soft when you cut your pieces out, just put them on a cookie sheet and rebake for 2-8 minutes intil they harden up!
4. Not covering your edges and corners with icing.
An easy step to forget, but decorating the corners and edges of the gingerbread pieces will make your gingerbread house look more polished, finished, and "done!"
5. Not icing your base!
Even if you're building your gingerbread house on a white piece of cardboard, cover the entire base (cardboard) with a thin layer of icing to look like snow! Not only does it make it look a lot more polished, but the cardboard can form a grease stain around the gingerbread if you don't cover it in icing!
FAQs
Well, TikTok user @tastyentertaining has the answer to all of our gingerbread house problems. She recommends using granulated sugar instead of royal icing to hold the walls together. How? Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat.
What are rules for gingerbread house? ›
Rules & Requirements
- * All houses must have at least : 4 walls, 1 roof.
- * All house foundations (walls & roof) must be constructed using gingerbread.
- * All decorations, props and house must be constructed with edible materials. ...
- * Boards/ Trays/ Platters/ or Plates holding your house must not exceed 18” X 18”
Well, TikTok user @tastyentertaining has the answer to all of our gingerbread house problems. She recommends using granulated sugar instead of royal icing to hold the walls together. How? Just melt the sugar in a pan over low heat.
What holds gingerbread houses together the best? ›
there's one key thing you should do if you want your house to stay put right off the bat – get the glue right. It's royal for a reason because royal icing is the king of glues for gingerbread houses. As my go-to choice for edible cement I can't really fault it's versatility and strength.
How do you make a gingerbread house stronger? ›
So to make sure our walls could stand strong, we sandwiched melted marshmallow cement between two graham crackers. The marshmallow adds weight, which helps stabilize the structure. It also acts as a sealant, ensuring that the cracker won't crumble.
How to stop a gingerbread house from collapsing? ›
Assemble In Advance
The royal icing (essentially the glue that holds up the walls) will have a chance to dry and make the structure sturdier, which will create a stronger base for the weight of the candy decorations.
Why did my gingerbread house fall apart? ›
“Most gingerbread disasters, collapses, and frustrations happen because the icing hasn't had an adequate amount of time to dry. It's not always easy for kids to be patient, so it's a good idea to have some other activity lined up in between steps to distract kids while they're waiting to work on the house.”
How do you keep gingerbread house crisp? ›
To achieve crispy, sturdy gingerbread, Lomas recommends letting the baked gingerbread pieces dry out for a day or two. Don't put the pieces in the refrigerator or keep them in a closed container, as this keeps the moisture in. “The longer it dries out, the easier it is to work with for construction purposes,” she said.
Should gingerbread house be hard or soft? ›
Gingerbread houses
The gingerbread for houses needs to be hard and dry so it keeps its shape well – it's unlikely you'll want to eat it on the day you make it after all your hard work! Gingerbread quantities for houses are quite large.
What makes gingerbread stronger? ›
A 1:4 ratio of butter to flour makes the gingerbread strong. Corn syrup keeps freshly baked gingerbread pliable and soft, so it's easy to cut while warm. Rolling the dough directly on parchment makes it easy to transfer to the pan.
Determine the Winner
By awarding prizes in multiple categories, the gingerbread builders can also be the judges. Give each participant a ballot with three or four categories for which to vote, such as Most Creative, Most Delicious-Looking, Largest Structure and Most Festive.
How do you make a gingerbread house without falling apart? ›
Gingerbread House Construction Tips:
- Get the right texture. “Use royal icing, because it dries hard. ...
- Lay it flat. “Decorate the separate pieces of the house and let them dry before putting the house together. ...
- Let it dry. Beddall says patience is the most important part of gingerbread house making. ...
- Take a shortcut.
Decorate the house pieces before assembly.
It is easiest to decorate the sides and roof of the house before assembling, although you can add details after the house is assembled as well. Trace the doors and windows, you can add a border or white icing along the bottom of each piece to create snow drifts.
How to judge a gingerbread house competition? ›
Determine the Winner
By awarding prizes in multiple categories, the gingerbread builders can also be the judges. Give each participant a ballot with three or four categories for which to vote, such as Most Creative, Most Delicious-Looking, Largest Structure and Most Festive.
